HARRISON, W.H. MSS.

The Harrison, W.H. mss., 1779-1922, but principally
1800-1815, consist of photostats and transcripts of manuscript
and printed material collected by Logan Esarey, professor of
history at Indiana University, for his
Messages and Letters
of William Henry Harrison,
Indianapolis, 1922, 2 vols.,
Indiana Historical
Collections, vols. 7-8.

The collection has been organized into two series: I.
Materials used by Esarey; II. Materials not used by Esarey.
Some of the materials not used have been published in Clarence
Edwin Carter's
The Territorial Papers of the U.S.
Washington, 1934, volumes 2 & 3,
The Territory Northwest
of the River Ohio, 1787-1803
; volumes 7 & 8,
The
Territory of Indiana, 1800-1816
; Logan Esarey's
Messages
and Papers of Jonathan Jennings, Ratliff Boon & William
Hendricks
. Indianapolis, 1924, Indiana Historical
Collections, vol. 3; Louis B. Ewbank & Dorothy L.
Riker,
The Laws of Indiana Territory, 1809-1816.
Indianapolis, 1934, Indiana Historical
Collections, vol.
20;
Treaties Between the U.S.A. and the Several Indian
Tribes, From 1778 to 1837
(Washington, 1837); and
Indian
Treaties and Laws and Regulations Relating to Indian
Affairs
(Washington, 1826). Indication of such publication
is given on folders which contain such material. This second
group consists of letters, petitions and claims addressed to
Congress, statistics, miscellaneous material, Indian treaties
and acts, bills, amendments and reports of committees of the
United States Congress.

The petitions to Congress relate to land questions,
suffrage and elections, divisions of the Indiana Territory,
post roads and post offices, slavery, and miscellaneous
subjects.

1) The petitions relating to land questions are from:
George Ash for confirmation of a grant of land from the
Indians, 1802, Jan. 29; citizens of the Indiana Territory in
support of George Ash's claim, 1802, Jan. 29; the Illinois and
Ouabache Land Company for confirmation of their land title,
1803, Oct. 17; citizens of Randolph and St. Clair counties for
favorable terms for securing lands, 1804, Dec. 12; George Ash
for confirmation of a land title, 1804, Dec. 13; Sally Lusk for
the right to operate a ferry and for a grant of land, 1804,
Dec. 14; citizens of Livingston County, Kentucky, in support of
Sally Lusk's petition, 1804, Dec. 14; citizens of Indiana
Territory and the state of Kentucky in support of George Ash's
petition, 1804, Dec. 20; citizens living near Fort Massac for
confirmation of the land claims, 1805, Jan. 10; land purchasers
of Ohio and the Indiana Territory for an extension of time in
making payments, 1805, Oct. 1 and Nov. 19; citizens of Randolph
and St. Clair counties for land grants, 1805, Dec. 2; French
inhabitants of Vincennes requesting an extension of time in
filing land claims, 1806, Feb. 27; William Wells for right of
pre-emption on a tract of land near Ft. Wayne, 1807, Oct. 7 and
a deposition of William Henry Harrison in support of his
petition, 1806, Nov. 28; the Legislature of the Indiana
Territory for the establishment of a land office in the
territory, 1811, Jan. 21; the Legislative council and the House
of representatives of the Indiana Territory for an extension of
time in making land payments, 1811, Jan. 21; the Legislature of
Ohio for the fixing of the northern and western boundaries of
the state, 1811, Dec. 21; citizens of the Indiana Territory for
a change in the law allowing an extension of time for making
land payments, 1812, June 15; the Legislature of the Indiana
Territory for an extension of time in making land payments,
1813, May 3; the Legislature of the Indiana Territory for
confirmation of the claims to land sold by the Trustees of the
university, 1813, May 25; John Small for confirmation of his
title to a tract of land, 1817, Oct. 9 and depositions in
support of his claim, 1818, Jan. 2 and 5; citizens of Vincennes
for removal of land claims which were on worthless land, 1817,
Dec.; Jane Dubois and Will Jones for location of the land
claims of Toussaint Dubois, 1818, Jan. 27; citizens of
Vincennes requesting a survey of the town, n.d.

2) Petitions relating to suffrage and elections are
from: the Legislative council of the Indiana Territory for
popular election of the council and of the delegate to
Congress, 1808, Oct. 26; the Legislative council and House of
Representatives of the Indiana Territory questioning the
constitutionality of the meeting of the general assembly and
inquiring about methods for organizing a new legislature and
apportioning delegates, 1809, Oct. 21; citizens of Clark County
and the Indiana Territory for popular election of militia
officers, magistrates, sheriffs and coroners, 1809, Dec. 12;
citizens of the Indiana Territory for the extension of the
right of suffrage, 1809, Dec. 12; citizens of Harrison County
for the extension of the right of suffrage, 1809, Dec. 12; the
Legislative council and the House of Representatives of the
Indiana Territory for the extension of the right of suffrage,
1811, Jan. 2 and 24; the Republican Corresponding Society of
Brookville for the popular election of sheriffs and
magistrates, 1811, Oct. 26; the Legislative council protesting
against the governor's division of the territory into new
council districts, 1814, Jan. 6; Daniel C. Lane and Patrick
Shields for a correction in the census report and the
apportionment of another delegate to the convention from
Harrison County, 1816, Jan. 3.

3) Petitions relating to the division of the Indiana
Territory are from: citizens of [Michigan] for a separate
government, 1803, Mar. 20 and Sept. 1, 1804, Oct. 24;
landowners near Ohio asking to be joined to that state, 1805,
Dec. 18; the Democratic Republicans of Wayne for a separate
government, [1804, Dec. 6]; a committee of the citizens of
Illinois for separation from the Indiana Territory, 1807, Feb.
20; citizens of Knox

County against the separation of Illinois from the Indiana
Territory, 1808, Dec. 16; citizens of Randolph County against
the separation of Illinois from the Indiana Territory, n.d.

5) Petitions requesting that slavery be allowed in the
Indiana Territory are from: The Legislative council and the
House of Representatives of the Indiana Territory, 1807, Sept.
19 and 1806, Dec. 20.

6) Petitions on several subjects are from: citizens of
Randolph and St. Clair counties for slavery, the extinguishment
of the Indian title to a tract of land in Illinois, grants to
men who will open a road to Vincennes and keep inns along it,
and the establishment of garrisons in the Illinois region,
1800, Oct. 11; the Legislative council and House of
Representatives of the Indiana Territory for slavery, extension
of the right of suffrage, cession of the salt springs to the
territory, confirmation of certain land titles and statehood,
and against the division of the Indiana Territory, 1805, Aug.
19; a committee of citizens of St. Clair and Randolph counties
for separation from the Indiana Territory, grants of land,
slavery, 1806, Jan. 17 and the proceedings of the committee,
1805, Nov. 25; citizens of Randolph and St. Clair counties for
separation from the Indiana Territory and for slavery, 1805,
Dec. 18; citizens of Harrison County for popular election of a
delegate to Congress and of the Legislative council and for an
extension of time in making land payments, 1809, Feb. 3; the
Legislature of Indiana Territory for the relief of the widows
and orphans of the soldiers killed at the Battle of Tippecanoe
and for a grant of land to the troops who fought there, 1811,
Dec. 9.

7) Miscellaneous petitions are from: the judges of the
Indiana Territory requesting an increase in their salaries,
1803, Nov. 1; the board of Trustees of the University of
Vincennes for a tax on salt and Indian trade for the use of the
university, 1807, Nov. 20; the House of Representatives of the
Indiana Territory asking for the repeal of the governor's power
of veto and requesting the right of appeal from the general
court to the circuit court of Kentucky in 1808, Oct. 11; John
Gibson and Henry Vanderburgh asking for back pay as officers in
the Revolutionary army, 1808, Oct. 22; citizens of Harrison
County against the reappointment of Governor Harrison, 1809;
citizens of Clark County against the reappointment of Governor
Harrison, 1809, Isaac Wayne asking for the settlement of his
father's accounts with the government, 1811, Jan. 7; the
Legislative council and House of Representatives of the Indiana
Territory for the removal of the capitol to a more centrally
located place, 1811, Jan. 7; Peter Jones and James Dill
protesting against the petition of the Legislature requesting
statehood, 1811, Dec. 13; the House of

Representatives of the Indiana Territory for the
reappointment of Governor Harrison, 1811, Dec. 18; citizens of
Knox County for relief from damages done by the Kentucky
militia, 1812, Dec. 15 (and claims, Oct. 4, 1812-Aug. 1, 1817);
members of the Indiana legislature who were militia officers
against Harrison's retirement from the command of the northwest
army and for his promotion to Major general, 1813, Feb. 17; the
Legislature of the Indiana Territory requesting that the
militia be paid, 1813, Dec. 15; the Legislature of the Indiana
Territory asking for changes in the judicial system, 1814, Jan.
5; the Legislative council and House of Representatives
requesting an extension of time for the payment of the excise
tax, 1816, Jan. 2; the Legislative council and House of
Representatives of Indiana Territory for statehood, 1816, Jan.
2; the Legislative council and House of Representatives of
Indiana Territory for permission to work the salt springs,
1816, Jan. 11; Martin Rose asking compensation for horses lost
to the Indians at Tippecanoe (and depositions in support of the
claim), 1817, Dec. 17; William Purcell asking compensation for
horses lost to the Indians at Tippecanoe (and depositions in
support of the claim), 1817, Dec. 17; citizens of Vincennes
requesting the draining of a swamp, n.d.

The papers include the claims of the Shakers at
Busseron, Knox County for property destroyed by Potawatomi
Indians and the Kentucky militia, 1817, July 29; and the claim
of Antoine Marchall, with depositions in support of it, for
compensation for property destroyed by the 4th U.S. Regiment,
1812, May 6 and 11.

The statistics consist of: statements of land sales in
[Ohio and Indiana], 1808, Oct. 1 to 1809, Oct. 1, 1809, Oct. 1
to 1810, Oct. 1, 1812, Oct. 1 to 1813, Oct. 1; a statement of
land sales in [Ohio, Indiana and Illinois], 1815, Oct. 1 to
1816, Oct. 1; a statement of the amount of lands sold at each
land office to 1811, Sept. 30; a statement of the land offices
northwest of the Ohio to 1811, Sept. 30, dated 1812, Jan. 22;
an estimate of the public lands still unsold in the state of
Ohio and the territories of Michigan, Indiana, Illinois and
Mississippi, 1811, Sept. 30; and a report of the land
commissioners at Vincennes, Indiana, 1806, Mar. 25 and 1812,
May 27. Also included are: an abstract of Indiana annuities,
1795, Aug. 3 to 1809, Dec. 9; a statement of Indian treaties,
land cessions, and annuities from 1789, Mar. 4 to 1812, Dec.
30; a statement of Indian department expenditures from 1811,
Mar. 3 to 1815, Mar. 3, dated 1816, Feb. 22; a memo of Indian
annuities for 1812 and 1813; a statement of losses at Indian
factories during the war, 1814, Apr. 1; census returns for
Indiana Territory for 1801, July 4; census returns for the
Northwest Territory, 1801, Dec. 23; census returns for St.
Clair and Randolph counties, 1806, Mar. 26, and for Randolph
County (1807) 1808, Nov. 2; a return of votes in Randolph and
St. Clair counties, 1808, Nov. 2; a return of the killed and
wounded in the action near Prophet's Town, 1811, Nov. 7; a
statement of postal receipts for 1800, Oct. 1 to 1803, Oct. 1;
and a docket of causes in the general court, 1803, Nov. 5.

Miscellaneous papers consist of: a typescript of George
Ash's story from the Indianapolis
Journal, 1830, Mar.
10; a typescript of Harrison's speech at Fort Meigs from the
Logansport
Telegraph, 1840, Aug. 8; a typescript of the
proceedings of the Republican convention at Indianapolis, 1858,
Mar. 4; a typescript of Adam Walker's journal, n.d.; Capt.
Peter Funk's narrative of the Tippecanoe campaign [as told to
D.R. Poignand, 1862]; a deed from certain Indian chiefs to
George Ash, 1802, Apr. 13; the laws of the Indiana Territory,
1803, Feb. 14 and Dec. 7; a plat of the reserved tract around
Vincennes, 1818, Feb. 12; a map of southern Indiana, n.d.;
depositions of John Kidd and others stating that they did not
sign a petition asking for the separation of Illinois from the
Indiana Territory and charging Governor Harrison with improper
conduct, 1808, Sept. 1, Oct. 7 and Oct. 12; and a list of
papers pertaining to Indiana which are in the Library of
Congress, 1922, Aug. 24.

The Indian treaties (printed) are: with the Delaware,
Shawnee, Potowatomi, Miami, Eel River, Wea, Kickapoo,
Piankashaw and Kaskaskia Indians at Ft. Wayne, 1803, June 7;
with the Eel River, Wyandot, Piankashaw, Kaskaskia, and
Kickapoo Indians at Vincennes, 1803, Aug. 7; with the Delaware
Indians at Vincennes, 1804, Aug. 18; with the Piankashaw
Indians at Vincennes, 1804, Aug. 27; with the Delaware,
Potowatomi, Miami, Eel River and Wea Indians at Grouseland,
1805, Aug. 21; with the Piankashaw Indians at Vincennes, 1805,
Dec. 30; with the Delaware, Potowatomi, Miami, Eel River
Indians at Ft. Wayne, 1809, Sept. 30. There are two manuscript
journals (photostats) of proceedings at conferences with the
Indians: with the Wyandot, Seneca, Delaware, Miami, Eel River
and Wea Indians at Greenville, 1814, July; and with the
Wyandot, Ottawa, Chippewa, and Potawatomi Indians at Detroit,
1815, Aug. 8; and a manuscript proclamation (photostat)
concerning the ratification of the treaty of Vincennes, Oct.
26, 1809, with the Weas, dated 1810, Jan. 25.

For more information about this collection and any related materials contact the
Public Services Department, Lilly Library, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47405.
Call (812) 855-2452 or send an email using our Ask a Question form.